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Knowledge Graph and Ontology Specialist
Location: Manchester
Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year per annum
Vacancy Type: Fixed term (21 Months)
The closing date is 11 June 2026
Do you want to do meaningful work that makes a genuine difference to society? Our main purpose here at The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is to improve health and wellbeing by putting science and evidence at the heart of health and care decision-making.
As an organisation we all collaborate to achieve this goal by empowering our workforce to do great things!
Please note that this role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. Please refer to the DirectGov website for more information on eligibility.
We reserve the right to close the advert early should we receive sufficient applications, so please don’t delay your submission.
Main duties of the job
The Knowledge Graph and Ontology Specialist will play a leading role in designing and delivering semantic data models, ontologies, and knowledge graphs that underpin NICE’s digital products and information services.
Working closely with multidisciplinary teams, the role focuses on improving how information is structured, linked, discovered, and reused–supporting intelligent search, interoperability, and future ready digital services for both internal and external users.
What you will do / bring to the role
- Lead the design, development and implementation of ontologies, taxonomies, metadata schemas and knowledge graphs, embedding them into NICE systems and services.
- Develop semantic search and retrieval capabilities, helping users find information more effectively across NICE digital platforms.
- Provide advice on semantic technologies, information modelling, interoperability, and data integration.
- Promote structured, interoperable information and influence stakeholders across programmes
- Collaborate with architects, engineers, analysts and partners to shape semantic solutions and roadmaps
- Apply strong expertise in semantic web technologies and standards (such as RDF, OWL, SPARQL and SHACL) alongside knowledge of graph databases and data integration practices.
- Communicate complex technical concepts clearly and confidently to a wide range of technical and non technical stakeholders, influencing decisions and driving adoption
About us
The Architecture & Data team sits at the heart of NICE’s digital transformation, setting the direction for how data, analytics and architecture are used across the organisation.As a centre of excellence, the team defines standards, embeds strong data governance, and enables high-quality, impactful delivery. Working closely with teams across NICE, it supports responsible innovation and ensures data is used effectively to improve health and care outcomes.We are passionate and proud of the work we do and the impact we make. NICE offer:
- Generous NHS Pension – Secure your future with one of the most rewarding pension schemes in the UK
- Flexible working – Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with options like remote working, compressed hours and flexible start/finish times
- Exclusive discounts – Save on shopping, dining and more with a Blue Light CardTime to recharge – Start with 27 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
- Inclusive staff networks – Join supportive communities like Women in NICE, Race Equality Network, Disability Advocacy and NICE and Proud – we celebrate diversity
- Tailored development – Grow your career with personalised learning and development opportunities
Job responsibilities
To be considered for this role, you should be able to particularly demonstrate the person specification criteria in the job advert in your application. However, applicants should be able to demonstrate all essential criteria through the entirety of the recruitment process to be considered for the job.
Person Specification
Essential
- A postgraduate level qualification (or equivalent professional experience) in a relevant discipline, with highly developed specialist knowledge gained through practical experience and ongoing professional development.
- Demonstrable expertise in designing, managing and applying ontologies, semantic relationships and knowledge graphs within an organisational context, using appropriate modelling tools and techniques.
- Strong practical experience of semantic web technologies and standards, including RDF, OWL, SPARQL, SHACL and their application to real world information modelling challenges.
- Working knowledge of knowledge graph databases (such as Neo4j, Stardog, Neptune or GraphDB) and experience of building and managing knowledge graphs that integrate data from multiple sources.
- Proven skills of ontology development and data standards, including applying data policies, processes and standards effectively and monitoring compliance within teams or across organizations
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
To Apply
If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for NICE (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), please click apply to be redirected to their website to complete your application.